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Amsterdam growing as a digital healthcare hub

A new report by KPMG explains why Amsterdam is at the centre of the Netherlands’ growing role in the field of digital healthcare.

11 May 2016

Amsterdam a hotspot for digital healthcare

Amsterdam is increasingly becoming a bustling centre for the development of new healthcare technologies, and is currently home to 21 digital healthcare startups.
On 21 April 2016 KPMG Innovative Startups and Volta Ventures presented their joint analysis (Dutch link). Their report found that Dutch startups in this field tend to focus on telemedicine; for example, telecommunications and information technologies that are used to provide clinical care at a distance.

Dutch consumers as early adopters

In addition, many Dutch startups are working on tools for self-management, where patients can arrange for care themselves, get prescriptions, and make appointments with the doctor. “Dutch consumers have been especially eager to embrace these new applications,” said Filip Vandamme of Volta Ventures. “And this willingness to change increases the pressure on the Dutch healthcare providers to expand their services and digitise.”

One of the most promising growth sectors

Vandamme added that "Healthcare is one of the most promising sectors for innovation by both existing and new players.”

The Netherlands currently has more than 60 startups in this field, and 16 of those were founded in the last year alone, said Daniël Horn of KPMG Innovative Startups. "We have seen a significant increase in start-up companies engaged in digital care over the past few years,” he said.

The Dutch ecosystem for startups is in good shape, Horn added, even though digital healthcare is a very specialised area. "It’s difficult to determine which technologies can sustainability can add value for the healthcare providers,” he said. “There are so many small innovations that it is not easy to estimate their impact.” Many of the latest innovations in the field will be presented and discussed during eHealth Week, which will take place in Amsterdam from 8-10 June 2016.

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